The New Age of Celtland
by Biggoron
Summary: The events 500 years after Quest64. Please R&R, if anyone even comes to this section anymore... Rated for Language, and some slight other stuff here and there.
1. Chapter 1

**The New Age of Celtland**

_Prologue: The New Age of Celtland_

Hello, everyone! Biggoron, here. Quest 64 was one of my favorite videogames for the Nintendo 64, and I've noticed that it's also one of the smallest sections of fanfiction. Therefore, I've decided to write a Quest 64 fic, myself. It's an idea that I got long ago, but never put into writing. If anyone is actually reading this… you have my sincere thanks… 'cause I'm not sure if people even read the Quest 64 section, at all…

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Quest 64. It's a great videogame that I own a copy of, but not the rights to. However, certain spells I do own myself, as well as most of the characters within this fic. Most of the landmarks I don't own, but some I do.

…_Celtland…_

The continent where there's magic abound, where people learn the ways of the elements through knowledge, and channeling the power of their own spirits into magic. This continent, separate from the rest of the world, is actually the very source of all magic, which radiates from four special gems: The Earth Orb, The Wind Jade, The Water Jewel, and the Fire Ruby. These priceless gems of untold power also play another role. They are the keys to the Eletale Book. Since the beginning of time, there has been a book called the Eletale Book. It is the most powerful of all spell books. Many have sought this mighty book, but the book only judges the one who opens it. Most who have opened the book have died on the spot. Other times, entire civilizations would be wiped out, and the feared day of grief came upon the land. Once, the world began to decay because of it, but its destruction was stopped by a powerful wizard whose name remains unknown to this day.

Although most, ignorant of the book's judgmental nature, and believing that they were worthy of opening it, searched for the book to use its apocalyptic spells to its own ends, there were those who knew of the peril that this book could cause, and attempted to destroy it. They quickly learned that such was not possible. Instead, they decided to seal it away in the Melrode monastery, a giant cathedral at the northernmost point of Celtland. There it remained undisturbed for many years…

…Until its theft five hundred years ago. Though many still are oblivious of the events that occurred. A young mage named Brian traveled the land, at first searching for his father who was caught up in the war. Eventually, his quest led him to collecting the four gems, and finding the Eletale book. Although he could've looked into it, he chose not to, and to reseal it in the monastery. He also used the gems to enter the ethereal prison of Mammon, a dark demon of great power, who was sealed there long ago by Epona, who couldn't slay him, but sealed him, instead. Mammon was on the verge of breaking out and sending his wrath back upon the world. Brian, using his vast knowledge of the elements, slayed the mighty demon, and seemingly vanished after that. The Eletale book still rests inside the Melrode Monastery.

Two and a half centuries passed, and magic began to undergo changes. It began with the study of the water element, and it's Ice spells: Ice Knife, and Ice walls. Soon, mages were able to use a whole bunch more of Ice spells, so it became its own separate element. Lightning was discovered soon after, and then light. Most recently discovered was darkness, although lots of people mistake it for Evil. In addition, four new gems appeared in addition to the old ones: the Ice diamond, the Lightning gem, the Light topaz, and the Dark onyx. So it was now official, there were eight elements.

…Two and a half more centuries passed, bringing us to the present…

Now, in the present, there are eight elements: Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Lightning, Ice, Light, and Darkness. Brannoch and Greenoch have been completely rebuilt, into a bustling city even bigger than Limelin, and Limelin, in turn, built a huge bridge to connect itself to Brannoch, so that people wouldn't have to go through the Baragoon tunnel, the desert, and the Boil hole to reach it. Magic itself has become stronger, as new spells are constantly appearing within each mage. In the event that danger should again befall Celtland, Dondoran has built a huge mage's guild in the area where a big sandy pit used to be, so that young mages could hone their skills in magic. This made Dondoran a popular place.

As of late, all seems well across the land, in everywhere, except for Melrode… the Eletale book has simply disappeared. Not stolen, but disappeared. This has caused panic, but the elder sages have chosen to not spread it around, for it could cause mass panic. Still… can't stop one traveler from spreading breaking news, now, can you?

**End of Prologue  
**

Well, I hope that wasn't too boring. Next chapter, we meet the actual characters. Please continue to read this story, I promise it'll be worth it. Don't forget to leave a review.


	2. Prologue Part II

**The New Age of Celtland**

_Prologue Part II_

**DISCLAIMER**: Refer to the Previous Disclaimer.

Magic now works differently. In the past, mages were able to use all of the four main elements: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. However, since the arrival of the four new stones, the flow of magic has changed from what it once was. Each person only possesses the ability to use only one of the eight elements. However, the power that that one person has in that single element is far greater than what the mages of old could do. The elements didn't have any strengths or weaknesses in particular, they just reacted strongly to their opposite element: Earth and Wind are opposites, Fire and Ice are opposites, Water and Lightning are opposites, and Darkness and Light are opposites. Elements reacted the worst, however, when facing their own element.

Many sages, or elder mages who have dedicated at least thirty years to their studies, have become paranoid about the mighty demon known as Mammon, and the threat he posed to the world long ago. They knew that he had been slain by a magician's apprentice, an anonymous mage who performed deeds that not even the great sages of his time could manage, and later on became a great sage who devoted his life to the study of both magic and the Eletale book. However, with one such as Mammon, they weren't certain that he was dead, as the great sage Epona, who is a couple of thousand years old, has defeated Mammon before. Neither of the two seem to be around anymore, so the sages wonder… if Mammon returned, how'd they stop it?

They came up with a solution: Getting the boys and girls of Celtland to learn magic in their teen years. A band of wise and powerful sages have made magic shops in just about every town, shops where staves were sold at an extremely low price, and were sold at the same price: 10 gold coins. Normally, not many took up magic because many of the staves sold would normally cost ten thousand gold coins, or more depending on the value, and these staves were necessary for channeling one's magic spells.

Staves were all now sold at the very same price: 10 gold coins, no matter the value. Why were they all sold at this price? You see, it's not the person who chooses their staves; it's the staves that choose their person. So, if one ended up with a valuable staff, and it was destined to be their staff, then they wouldn't have to pay all the extra money because of it.

There was once a sand pit in Dondoran where the mage who slayed Mammon once walked to retrieve a stray spirit. This pit had gone without a use for many a years, so the sages built the Grand Dondoran University of Magic, a place where they could pass their knowledge down to the young ones of Celtland, in case Mammon was ever reborn… and the sages were sure that Mammon would make full use of the dark magics that were now in play if he ever did return. If he got his hands on the Dark Onyx, it would be over. Many of the sages then dubbed Dark Magic Evil, while other sages argued that the darkness wasn't evil, but misunderstood. These two views are still argued in Celtland today, even in the university of magic…

Many sages sought to find the Dark Onyx, and seal it up with the Eletale Book, but none could ever find it; the locations of the eight gems of untold power were currently… unknown. Legend said that five hundred years ago, the mage who slayed Mammon, after becoming a sage, left the four stones in their rightful places. The Fire Ruby was put in a shrine deep inside the Boil Hole, the mighty volcano that separated the desert and Brannoch. The Water Ruby was returned to the Isle of Skye, and placed in a shrine in the bottom of the ocean. The Wind Jade was put in a shrine in the Windward Forest, the vast forest North of Normoon that blew with many winds. Last, but certainly not least, the Earth Orb, first of the precious jewels that the mage-hero had obtained, was, like the others, placed in a shrine, but at the bottom of the great temple deep inside the Baragoon tunnel, said to have been the source of all monsters who once roamed the world.

The Ice Diamond was discovered in the Blue Cavern, and was taken to the vault of Limelin. The Lightning Gem was discovered in Greenoch, and was offered up to the immortal sage Lavaar, who made his home in the alternate realm of Shamwood, deep in the desert. The Light Topaz was discovered in the abandoned house of Limelin, and was also taken to the highly secured Vault of Limelin. The Dark Onyx was discovered outside of Brannoch one day by a random traveler, who mysteriously died the next day, and the Dark Onyx seemed to then vanish without a trace.

Unfortunately, recent expeditions of people praying at these shrines have proven disturbing results. The Earth Orb, Fire Ruby, Water Jewel, and Wind Jade have disappeared. They couldn't have been stolen, because they're just as picky with their carriers as the Eletale book is. They just… vanished, altogether, without a trace. Alerted by this, the sages went to Lavaar, who told them that the Thunder Gem had actually disappeared in a crack of lightning one day. The Dark Onyx was already MIA, and the only ones left, who were, thankfully, still secure, were the Light Topaz and the Ice Diamond…

However, what made matters worse was the disappearing of the Eletale Book, though it was a carefully kept secret inside Melrode to prevent mass panic. However, one wandering traveler couldn't contain it, and the news had become a great rumor in the Grand Dondoran University of Magic…

**End of Prologue**

Ok, next chapter it REALLY begins. Please Review if you're reading this. It'd mean a lot.

-Biggoron


	3. The REAL Chapter One

**The New Age of Celtland**

_Chapter I_

**DISCLAIMER**: Refer to the previous disclaimer.

Well, I didn't expect for there to be this many reviewers in the Quest 64 section. Well, I might as well not disappoint. Do not expect this to be updated frequently… I need to get my edge back.

-The Guild of Magic, Evening- 

The Dondoran School of magic had just gotten out for the day. The people were just getting out of their daily magic classes, and were now going home. Well, all except for one. One who had powers that made even the sages of the school wonder if he was human.

He appeared to be around seventeen years of age, with short brown hair the color of stone, which also covered up his right eye. Why this was, nobody knew, or would dare ask. His visible eye, however, was a cold blue color. His face was cold, and seemed to lack emotion. Every mage who attended the school was too afraid to even talk to him. Right now, as he does about every day after the guild gets out, he went to the ancient library of magic located in the fourth basement of the university, and started to read… quietly. At his side was his staff… the testament of his power. Seemingly etched out of the earth itself, this tall proud staff was adorned with emeralds going up the sides of the staff, and was topped with a magnificent topaz gem. It was indeed a legendary staff that the salesman was surprised to ever see sold… it was an especially picky staff. The staff stood upright about 6 feet tall, where Erus himself was 6'4".

However, he was not the only one in the library today. A cocky wind mage around the age of seventeen had recently come to the guild, saying that it was now he who was in charge. Of course… all the mages who attended the school had to agree, he was quite powerful… but there was already the mage in the school who nobody dared to talk to… Erus. Of course, this new kid, Alvar, didn't like this one bit… so he decided that he wanted to challenge Erus in battle.

Alvar walked into the library where Erus sat alone reading, and smirked. Now he would prove that he, as noble blood from Limelin, he would prove that he was the most powerful in this future generation of sages, and that he would dominate the world of magic when he was to become one.

Alvar himself wore noble clothes, and stood at about 6'0" in height. He had blonde hair, and silver eyes, and carried a staff that stood at 3'0", and was adorned with jade gems. His face wore a cocky smirk.

"Yo! You over there!" Alvar exclaimed. Erus really didn't even bother looking up.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!!"

"…."

"…Alright then…" Alvar grinned, walking over to Erus, who still wasn't paying any attention to Alvar.

"PAY ATTENTION TO ME, WORM!!" Alvar yelled, slamming the book that Erus was reading shut. It was then that Erus turned his eyes to meat Alvar's… when Alvar realized that he may have made a mistake… and a big one at that. His cold gaze sent shivers up his spine.

"…You shouldn't have done that…" Erus said, getting up, and staring Alvar in the face. It took Alvar a minute or two to gain his composure, but he finally began to speak.

"Word is that you're the best mage around here… perhaps even better than the sages!" Alvar exclaimed.

"…"

"Well?" Alvar asked.

"…Your point?" Erus replied.

"I want that title… not you. I'm noble blood of Limelin… son of the lord of the greatest monarchy of Celtland!! I deserve it, not some commoner." Alvar said.

Erus blinked. "I don't care who you are, or where you came from… I don't even remember where I came from, and if I'm nobility or not… but… if you want a battle…" He sighed, picking up his staff. "…Then I'll gladly accept."

Alvar kept his cocky expression, but on the inside, especially when he saw the legendary staff, he realized he may just have made a grave error. _'That staff… it looks like an earth type… and the most powerful I've ever seen, even all the way in Limelin… this might be a challenge…'_

-Outside the university, on a bench-

"Common' baby, pleeeeeeeasseee??" A boy of sixteen years with dark blue eyes, light blue hair, and an odd smile asked the girl next to him. He himself was 5'8" and had a tall staff adorned with a tanzanite on the top. The girl was 5'5" and not paying any attention at all to the boy next to her. She had long brown hair, green eyes, and had a large cobalt staff that was topped with a radiant sapphire.

"No, Jaldrik, for the last time, I do not like you." The girl sighed, trying to ignore the boy next to her.

"Please, Avayna! Please go out with me!!" Jaldrik exclaimed.

Avayna rolled her eyes. "You Lecher. You've already tried going out with eighteen of my other friends, each who have dumped you because you've been going out with another at the same time…" She sighed.

Jaldrik hung his head in defeat. "I… but you're the real deal, I mean it!"

"Not interested." Avayna sighed, getting up to leave. Suddenly, the door to the university opened, and two figures stepped out. _'Who could these two be…?'_ She thought.

Alvar and Erus were now at the opposite ends of the empty area near the entrance of the university. Alvar smirked, and twirled his staff around. Erus just rolled his eyes and waited.

_'Looks like they're going to battle… this could be interesting… one's an earth user and one's a wind user, judging by their staves… and both seem to be a very high level… perhaps I can learn a thing or two by watching this…'_ Avayna thought, moving closer to the battlefield.

"Wait for me!!" Jaldrik exclaimed, following Avayna.

"What now?" Avayna yelled.

"Come on! You're water, and I'm lightning! Opposites should attract!" Jaldrik yelled.

"For the last time, no. You're a lecher, and all you do is beg, and then betray. Go away, and quit bothering me before I decide to drown you with water pillar… I know the third level of it you know…" Avayna said, irritated.

"Hmph…" Jaldrik then decided to shut up, but stayed around to watch the battle.

"Alright… see if you can handle this! Wind Cutter!!" Alvar exclaimed, spinning his staff around, while casting his other palm out. His hand glowed green for a second, and then five different gusts of razor-sharp winds visible to the eye began to swarm around at Erus.

Erus simply smirked, and tapped his staff to the ground. He was suddenly surrounded by a red circular barrier, and the wind cutters bounced off of it harmlessly.

"That's it? It didn't even put a dent in my magic barrier… how disappointing… you sounded so sure of yourself, too… I thought you'd put up a decent fight." Erus smirked, dispelling his barrier.

_'Whoa… I don't care how strong this new guy is… but there's no way he can beat… him. He's always been the strongest around.'_ Jaldrik thought.

_'…Hm. A third level wind cutter… impressive… however that other guy… Erus… must be at a superb level… his magic barrier took the brunt of all five cutters, and didn't even get a chip of it scratched.' Avayna thought._

"Now then… it's my turn…" Erus sighed, his staff beginning to glow a bright brown color. Suddenly, he thrust his palm at the ground, and a humungous rock was suddenly ripped out of the ground… and I mean it when I say this thing is huge. Jaldrik looked upon this in awe, Avayna was amazed, and Alvar… was pretty much pissing his pants.

"Impossible!!" Alvar exclaimed, now sweating with fear.

_'Is… that… a rock spell… stage… FOUR?!?'_ Avayna thought.

_'…That… doesn't look natural. He doesn't even appear to be straining from using this spell.'_ Jaldrik thought.

_'HOLY FUCK!! I'M SO SCREWED!!"_ Alvar thought, as the gigantic rock was suddenly slammed down at him from the sky. Suddenly, the rock stopped in its place, about an inch from Alvar's forehead, and threw itself back up in the air, and into the hill behind him, with a mighty thud, literally embedding the colossal boulder into the very hillside, causing a fierce tremor within the town.

"…What?" Alvar asked.

Erus sighed. "If that would've crushed you, there's no question you'd be dead…" Erus spoke. "…And I want you to live and face the embarrassment of going into a match so confident, and coming out with an overwhelming loss." He then stated.

Alvar grimaced. "Grr… this still isn't over! LARGE CUTTER!!" He exclaimed, as he used wind cutter again, except all five of the cutters combined to form one huge cutter.

Erus sighed. "…If we must continue, so be it… Rock blade." Suddenly, a huge rock the shape of a Claymore came out of the Earth, and pointed itself at Alvar. It then thrust forward at an extremely high speed, slicing through the large cutter without effort, and embedding itself in the ground about three inches to the left of a panicking Alvar.

"What… was… that…?" Alvar then asked.

_'What WAS that, anyway? I've never even read about that spell anywhere, before…'_ Avayna thought, amazed.

_'…Shit. How powerful.'_ Jaldrik thought.

The stone Claymore stayed in the ground another minute, before Erus flicked his wrist, causing the blade to disappear. "You are trying my patience… that's twice I missed on purpose because you would've been killed… do not push me to a third, or I assure you, you will die." Erus stated calmly.

"I… think… I'm getting… outta here…" Alvar exclaimed, quickly running away.

Erus smirked a little, but then sighed. _'Well, better get back to the library…'_ He thought, going back into the university, closing the great doors behind him.

Avayna looked at him for a long while before he went inside. _'You know… that Erus is kinda cute… but he's a loner… I wonder what he'd be like if I got him to open up? Well, it's worth a shot!'_ She thought, following Erus inside the university a minute after he went inside.

Jaldrik opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it as Avayna left to go inside. _'Damn it… she had that look on her face… apparently, she's taking a liking to Erus… but I cannot let her get away… she's a beautiful one, and has a nice body… an incredibly nice one at that, heh… best I've ever seen… definitely not one to let get away… well, I could always win her over by taking Erus out of the picture… yes… wait… WHAT THE HELL AM I SAYING!?!? I just saw Erus mop the floor with someone a hell of a lot stronger than me! I better leave this alone… perhaps that Maris girl's single…'_ He thought, walking off.

End of Chapter 

Well, that's a nice way to start, I think. I forgot how fun it was to write this… if I get nice reviews like I did last chapters, then I'll see what I can do to update soon. Thanks to all who have taken the time to read this and review what I've written so far!

Until Next Chapter,

-Biggoron


	4. Chapter Two: Fire and Ice

**The New Age of Celtland**

_Chapter II_

**DISCLAIMER**: Refer to the previous Disclaimer.

-The beach outside the gates of Dondoran-

A girl who stood at around 5'6" in height with fiery red hair, blue eyes, and a short golden rod tipped with a ruby was on the beach, at sunset, the very same day. She breathed in deeply, and then opened here eyes, facing the ocean.

"Fireball!" She exclaimed, as a small fireball burnt forth from the tip of her rod. She then looked down, and sighed in dismay. "Damn… why can't I do it…?" Unfortunately, she suddenly heard the last voice she wanted to hear coming from behind her.

"Heyyyyy, if it isn't my favorite redhead!" Jaldrik exclaimed.

"YOU!!!" The girl exclaimed, turning around.

"Huh… what did I do?" Jaldrik exclaimed.

The girl's eyes lit up with anger. "FIREBALL! FIREBALL! FIREBALL! FIREBALL!!!!" She exclaimed, shooting explosively large fireballs at Jaldrik, who was now sweating in fear.

"Eep!" He exclaimed. "Gotta… defend myself…" He said nervously, twirling his staff around. Sparks flew from the staff, creating a small wall of lightning. "Thunder wall!" Jaldrik exclaimed, as he repeatedly spun his staff, keeping up the spell. The six-foot long fireballs dissipated upon contact with the thunder wall. Jaldrik then stopped spinning his staff, and began to pant heavily. "Geez… have you gotten stronger there, Rikaea?" He said, drained of his magical energies. Rikaea, however, was still glaring angrily at him.

"How DARE you come back to me after all that you pulled!! Who's you're next target, Asshole? Is it going to be my good friend Avayna!?! Who's next on your 'list'?" Rikaea exclaimed, while actually managing to use a fire bomb spell on Jaldrik, who was trying to run for his life. However, the explosion created from the fireball was still able to completely scorch his left arm over in third degree burns.

"OWWWWW!!! You hurt when you're angry…." Jaldrik said, eyes tearing up from the immense pain in his arm.

"Oh… you think THAT'S a lot? Maybe I should move up to Fire pillar, and cover your entire body in ninth degree burns?!? Or maybe I should boil you with some hot steam? That'll be fun… Or maybe… I'LL JUST SKIP TOYING WITH YOU, AND MOVE RIGHT UP ONTO EXTINCTION!! HOW ABOUT THAT?!?!?" Rikaea asked in a very, very loud and angry voice.

"I'm going to get out of here…" Jaldrik whimpered, running away to take care of his burns, leaving Rikaea alone to breath heavily. After about two minutes, all the worked-up adrenaline washed away, and she walked over to the ocean, and washed her face.

"The bastard… thinks he can toy with any woman he wants, and then break her heart for another, does he…" She muttered to herself. Then, when she finished washing her face, her facial expression went from fiercely pissed off, to a very innocent face. She suddenly realized that the other half of her personality had caused her to unleash high-leveled fire spells… while normally, it was difficult to pull off a basic fireball.

"Hm… Lemme try again…" Rikaea sighed. She took her rod, and pointed it out to sea… to the sunset. "Fireball!" Once again, a small fireball that barely measured a foot in length shot from her staff, and disappeared shortly after. She sighed heavily. "Hm… I don't get what's wrong… I wish Avayna was here… she knows a lot about spells… she'd know what I'm doing wrong…"

"Rikaea." A stern female voice from behind her said. She turned around; a dull expression on her face, obviously knowing it was her older sister, Cilia. Rikaea herself, like her best friend Avayna, was sixteen years in age. Her older sister, Cilia, was seventeen. As cold a facial expression as her element, Cilia was purely Ice. She had cold blue eyes, and black hair. She stood at around 5'8", and had a four-foot tall staff made entirely of crystals.

The two sisters were orphans… having lost their parents at a young age in a fire in Normoon. Since then, Cilia has assumed the role of a mother, it would seem, to Rikaea… even though she was only a year older. She was stern, and very strict upon her, and always has been ever since they moved to Dondoran. Of course, this annoys Rikaea.

"What is it, sister?" Rikaea asked, in a bit of an annoyed tone.

"…You're spells are linked to your emotions… when you're in your normal personality, there's not much you can do with your spells… but your anger… that's what fuels the great fire within you… and allows you to become one of the best fire spell casters around here." Cilia Stated.

"Well… that's kind of obvious to me, now…" Rikaea replied, annoyed.

Cilia frowned. "Would you like to prove it to me, then? In a battle?" She asked.

Rikaea looked confused. "How is that going to help…?"

"Didn't you notice? When you cast your fireball before Jaldrik came, it measure approximately eight inches in length… but after you got out of your fit of rage… when firing six foot fireballs… your fireball measure eleven inches.

Rikaea looked at her older sister strangely. "…Are you some sort of psychic yardstick or something?"

Cilia shifted her eyes. "Erm… no. Anyway, the point is, Is that your spells are gradually getting stronger, and we may eventually get them up to speed… to the eighteen inch average. Maybe if I can get you angry now, we can improve your skills, wouldn't you agree?"

Rikaea sighed deeply. "No… I've had enough for the day…"

Cilia got a smirk on her face. "What's the matter, sis? Chicken?"

"Cilia, now isn't the time…"

"Come on, weakling, you know you want to light me on fire."

"Sis, please…"

"…if you're so weak, the boys will never like you. You're not even beautiful, anyways."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!??!?" Rikaea exclaimed.

"Now THAT'S more like it." Cilia replied.

"Fire arrow!!" Rikaea exclaimed, swinging her rod. Soon, a lot of arrow-shaped rays of visible intense heat began to swarm around Cilia.

_'Ah… she can use the second stage of this spell… quite hard to dodge… but this can easily be countered with…'_ Cilia thought, her staff glowing a light blue color. She then slammed her staff onto the ground. "Ice wall!" She exclaimed, as a bunch of Ice rose up on all sides around her. The arrows of fire vanished when it came into the ice wall, yet the arrows also melted the Ice wall, itself. _'Impressive… she was able to cancel out my Ice wall… then I'll just catch her off guard with…'_ "…ICE KNIFE!!" Cilia exclaimed. Suddenly, three large Icicles appeared above Rikaea, and pierced right through her.

Rikaea screamed in pain… being a fire user, she was particularly sensitive to cold temperatures. The icicles didn't necessarily leave any marks on her flesh, but instead, pierced the very soul, chilling her to the bone. "So… cold…" She shivered.

Cilia frowned. _'Ice knife… known for its accuracy… perhaps a bit too harsh on her…'_ She thought. "Alright, sis. We're done for the day. I didn't really mean it when I said you weren't beautiful, ya know…" She then added.

Rikaea looked up at her, still shivering. "R-really?"

Cilia nodded. "Yes. You really are a very beautiful person… far more than me, ya know."

Rikaea looked stunned. "…Th-thanks. That m-means… a lot."

Cilia then put on a more caring expression. "Come on, sis… let's get you home and warmed up."

However, before they made it into the gates of Dondoran, they were attacked by four hellhounds. Cilia looked at her younger sister. "They're fire types… so this should be easy for me. You just get back… I'll take care of them." Rikaea nodded, and moved backward. A hellhound breathed out a foot long fireball at Cilia.

"Is that all?" Cilia asked, making her Ice wall again. _'Ice wall… a good defense against fire spells.'_ The fireball disappeared upon contact with the wall of ice, and the Ice wall continued on to attack the hellhound that used the fireball in the first place. It was killed instantly. "…And for the rest of you… Blizzard!!" Cilia exclaimed, waving her wand in a large arc, glowing with azure energy. Suddenly, an artic wind picked up, and snow and Ice began to bombard the hellhounds… who did not stand a chance.

Cilia sighed. "Let's go back, now." Rikaea nodded.

End of Chapter 

Well, how was that? Please let me know in a review.

Until Next Chapter,

-Biggoron


	5. Chapter Three: Earth and Water

**The New Age of Celtland**

_Chapter III_

**DISCLAIMER**: This thing really bothers me. Just refer to the original one, ok? Oh, and I also don't own any spells from Tales of Symphonia, ok? Those will be appearing in this story, too.

-Dondoran, Back in the Ancient Library-

Erus had gone back to reading his books. He was just sitting there, intently reading, with a cold look on his face. Just outside of the room, around the corner, was Avayna. _'Alright, Avayna… you can do this. Just try to make conversation… and maybe he'll be nice, after all…'_

"Hello!" Avayna said with a smile at Erus, walking into the room. Erus lifted his gaze, quite startled at someone approaching him in a friendly manner such as this.

"…Hi." Was his response.

_'Well, that could've been worse…'_ Avayna thought. "So… what are you reading, there?" She then asked Erus.

"A book about the eight sources of the elements, the jewels of power." Erus replied, in a slightly friendlier tone.

"I see… isn't it strange that they'd just disappear like that? The only two remaining are the ones in the Limelin vault." Avayna said.

Erus nodded. "Indeed. You know that the Eletale Book has disappeared, too?"

Avayna blinked, startled at what she just heard. "Did… you just say that the… Eletale book… is gone?"

"Mhm. heard the news from a Melrode traveler who came to this library. Last time someone opened that, the world was visited by the day of grief… and the world began to decay." Erus stated nonchalantly, his eyes still reading.

"The… world… began to decay?" Avayna asked. "How is that possible? Is the Eletale book really all that powerful?"

Erus sighed. "The Eletale book was created at the beginning of time, by the eight supreme gods, the very creators of existence. It is the records of their powers, and their spells are recorded into its pages… that's why nobody can really open the book. The powers listed in there are so great, the very text can kill a person or an entire nation just by being gazed upon."

Avayna sighed. "That's not good… I hope that it wasn't stolen."

"Mn. And furthermore the stones really aren't the source of the elements, as most people say. Well, technically they are, and technically they aren't. See, each of the eight supreme gods created a stone, which would carry their power into the world. The gods are the real sources of the elements… the stones just bring their powers from the heavens unto Earth… well, namely Celtland." Erus explained.

"…How come you know so much? It's not the public knowledge… and I've never heard it before, yet it sounds so true…" Avayna said.

"…I read a lot." Erus replied. "…and I don't believe you've ever told me what your name was?"

Avayna blushed. "Oh, how stupid of me… my name's Avayna."

Erus made a small smile. Something that Avayna could barely see, but she was sure that she saw it. She was finally on the path of making Erus open up to her. "The name's Erus. Pleasure to meet you."

Avayna blushed deeper. "No, the pleasure's mine."

Erus then looked at Avayna, but not in a cold way. Avayna was hoping that her face wasn't as red as she thought it was. "Hm. I think I've heard about you before from somewhere… you're one of the top twelve water mages in this guild… both book smart, and well-liked."

Avayna smiled at Erus. "I…" Then she looked down, and stopped. "…I've heard of you, too. You're the most powerful mage of this guild, with powers that exceed even that of the sages. Nobody ever approaches you, because they are scared of you."

Erus shook his head a little. "Can't say nobody ever approaches me. Besides you, there has been another who's approached me on friendly terms."

"Oh really? Who?" Avayna asked, curious.

Erus smirked a little. "I met him about a month ago. His name's Staff… and I must say that he's a very… amusing person."

Avayna thought for a minute. "I think I heard of him from a good friend of mine. Apparently, he's Maris' boyfriend… but I've been wondering why they call him Staff…"

Erus chuckled a little. "…It's because he got hungry and ate his staff."

Avayna looked at Erus, confused. _'What the HELL?!?'_ She thought.

Erus just nodded. "Anyways… I hear that you're really smart, too. What spells can you use?" He then asked.

Avayna thought for a moment. "Um… Water Pillar, levels one through three… healing levels one and two… walking water… drain magic… soul searcher, levels one and two, Spread… and water bomb." She explained.

Erus nodded. "Hm. A pretty good collection of spells, I must say."

Avayna smiled. "Thanks… and what about you?"

Erus sort of frowned. "Too many to count… I lost my memory, so I have no clue what I can do… but I can remember a few… Rock levels one through six, avalanche levels one through four, rolling rock levels one through five, rock blade, ground dasher, earthen staff, rock shower levels one through three, magnetic rock levels one through three, magic barrier levels one and two, meteor shower, envelop, and Earthquake."

Avayna blinked several times. _'Whoa. I haven't even heard of half the spells mentioned there… and I thought that spells could only reach a max of the third stage; yet here he is with rock… level SIX?!? … Is he a god or something…?'_ She thought.

"I… I can't believe how many spells you know." Avayna whispered, amazed.

Erus sighed. "It just takes some practice, that's all."

Avayna blushed. "W… will you help me?" She asked.

Erus looked up at her, and smiled. Not a full smile, but not a faint smile. "Sure. Want to get started today?"

Avayna smiled deeply at him. "Thank you so much! I'll be glad to!"

-Sometime later, outside the gates of Dondoran-

"…Good. You're coming along nicely. Now show me that Water bomb spell." Erus stated.

"Fine, but only if you show me your sixth-stage rock spell… I really wanna see it." Avayna replied.

"Ok, it's a deal, then." Erus said.

Avayna nodded. "Water Bomb!" She exclaimed, with a wave of her staff. Suddenly, a 12-foot long drop of water fell from the sky, and splashed on the ground, making water fly around everywhere. It must have taken out at least ten hellhounds roaming the area. "Ok, now let's see that rock spell."

Erus nodded, as a couple of Ware hares approached. Oh boy, talk about overkill.

"Rock…" Erus exclaimed, as suddenly a humungous boulder that made the level four boulder look like a pebble was torn from the ground. The boulder was roughly the very size of the entire guild of magic. Avayna looked up, and stared in awe. The ware hares were running away in fear. The colossal boulder then lifted itself up, and flew at the fleeing creatures.

-Meanwhile-

"King Scottfort XXXVIII-squared-to-the-pie-th-power!" A guard exclaimed, rushing into the throne room.

"Please… just call me King Scottfort." The king, who was a direct descendant of the original King Scottfort who held the Earth Orb five hundred years ago, sighed.

"Yes, your majesty. But, news is that the werehare population has been multiplying rapidly, and soon, there might be an overpopulation problem!" The guard exclaimed.

The King sighed. "Yes… this could be a problem."

CRAAASSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

The entire town began to shake violently. The torches in the throne room fell over, and the shields and weapons hanging up on the wall fell off. The guard had lost his footing, and the king fell out of his throne, and onto the floor. After the momentary sudden violent shaking stopped as quickly as it came, another guard ran into the room.

"Your majesty King Scottfort XXXVIII-squared-to-the-pie-th-power-direct-descendant-of-the-original-king-Scottfort-who-gave-the-Earth-Orb-to-the-legendary-mage-five-hundred-years-ago-who-

"ENOUGH!!" The King yelled, silencing the second guard. "What news do you bring?"

"Um… oh yeah. The ware hare population is no longer of any concern." The guard said.

-Back outside the gates-

"And that's how you use a rock spell at the sixth stage." Erus said, helping Avayna, who had been knocked off her feet, up. She blushed as she took his hand.

"Thanks." Avayna said quickly.

Erus nodded. "We're done for today. Tomorrow's the weekend… if you want to find me, I'll probably be in the Library." He said, looking at her, and smiling a little once more before walking off.

Avayna sighed. _'Yes… I'm definitely getting him to open up to me… he really is cute when he smiles.'_ She thought blissfully. She followed Erus back into town, just as the sun itself set from the sky.

End of Chapter 

Hoped you all liked it… now please review. It'll give me the motivation to write even faster.

Until Next Chapter,

-Biggoron


	6. 4:Light and Darkness, Lightning and Wind

**The New Age of Celtland**

Chapter IV

**DISCLAIMER:** Refer to the previous disclaimer.

I got really freaking bored today. That's all I'm gonna say.

-The same day as the first, after chapter 3 but before chapter 4's time… inside Dondoran-

Maris was walking down the streets of Dondoran. She was a girl of sixteen, with long dark hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. She stood at about 5'4" and had a diamond staff that stood to be about 4'0". Little did she know, she was being followed.

Jaldrik was stalking behind her. "Heh… I doubt she's been targeted yet…" He chuckled. However, almost as if Fate wanted to spite him, a boy who was seventeen, with tan skin, chin-length white hair, and red eyes came around the corner, and gave Maris a hug. "Oh damn… wait! He doesn't even have a staff! I'll just take him out here and now!" Jaldrik exclaimed, charging up a spell. "Bolt!!" He exclaimed, sending lightning out of his hand, and straight at the other man, who noticed the lightning, and glared in that direction.

"Dark Vortex." The man stated, his hand glowing black. Suddenly, a giant dark void appeared in front of him. The void sucked in the thunder, and shot it back out at Jaldrik.

"Oh damn." Jaldrik said, as he was shocked by the lightning. It didn't really hurt him much because it was his own element, but it still hurt a lot considering that one of his entire arms was in bandages from third degree burns.

"Heheh… now what should I do with him, Maris?" The man asked his girlfriend.

"Staff… you really don't have to…" Maris began, and then looked at him. "Oh… it's Jaldrik… I've heard of him. Do what you will."

Staff grinned. "It'll be my pleasure." The look in his eye was of the maniacal sort.

Jaldrik's eyes widened. "Ah! It's Staff! The one who ate the dark staff!!" He then began to back away when Staff's palm glowed black once more.

"Dark marionette!" Staff exclaimed, closing his palm. Suddenly, Jaldrik stopped moving, and his muscles tensed. Then, his body began acting on its own.

_'What the hell?!' _ Jaldrik thought. Suddenly, Staff began to make Jaldrik dance around and around in circles.

"Hehehe!! This is fun!" Staff laughed, as Maris let out a bit of a giggle. It really was a funny sight to watch Jaldrik dance in circles. Soon enough, Cilia and Rikaea walked by, too, and they couldn't help but giggle at the sight. However, after they took pictures… (Note: This is 500 years after Quest 64, meaning that they have some modern things… for example: TV and proper plumbing, baths, and showers, so there's no plague. However, there's no cars or guns… that'd pretty much kill the point, and for the most part, its still medieval-_looking_. Celtland is a world that runs on its own time, separate from the rest of the world. It IS after all, the magic realm of the world. Just wanted to clear that point up. Anyway…) they decided to pay it no more thought and continue back home, with Rikaea still being injured and all. However, Staff was far from done with Jaldrik. He began to make Jaldrik punch himself in the face repeatedly. "Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!" Staff yelled, making Jaldrik begin punching himself in the crotch.

Jaldrik's eyes bulged, and Maris winced with each shot. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OWWW!! FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS, OW! PLEASE STOP!!!" Jaldrik exclaimed, but Staff seemed to be having fun.

"Come on, honey… give the poor guy a break… he's already got a burnt arm." Maris said, looking up at Staff sweetly. Staff, however, couldn't resist a request from his beloved girlfriend, so he stopped the spell, leaving a whimpering Jaldrik to limp home.

"Alright… so we were supposed to meet Erus here, weren't we?" Staff asked.

Maris nodded. "Wonder where he could be? Perhaps he took overtime in the library?" She asked.

CRAAASSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

"…No, I bet that was him just now." Staff laughed.

"How do you know?" Maris asked.

"Who else do you know could cause such a massive earthquake?" Staff asked.

Maris blinked. "Good point."

"Either way… it gives us some time alone…" Staff said, grinning.

"Staff… not out in public…" Maris said, blushing.

"Fine, want to get a room at the Inn so we can be together tonight?" Staff grinned evilly.

Maris blushed deeply, but smiled back in a sheepish, but just as seductive manner. "Mhm."

-Meanwhile-

Jaldrik was limping through an alleyway of Dondoran. "Damn… Avayna, Maris, Rikaea… the three most beautiful and hottest women in all Kennishire, probably even all of Celtland… and none are interested in me… damn it…" He sighed, slumping down to the ground. "Curse you Staff… curse you Erus… why are you lucky so…?" He whined.

-In the same alleyway-

Alvar was walking down the alley, head hung in shame. "How could I lose to… to HIM!? That bloody Erus… back at home, in Limelin, I was the strongest mage of them all… but he beat me so… easily! HOW!?!? Now… everyone thinks I'm a worthless prick who's full of himself… Damn you, Erus!!" Alvar shouted. Suddenly, his gaze shifted when he saw Jaldrik, who was also staring back at Alvar.

Jaldrik got up. "So… you have a reason to hate Erus, too, eh?" He asked. He then extended his hand. "The name's Jaldrik… I don't know who you are all that much, but I do realize that Erus is too powerful of a mage to take on alone. Perhaps if we worked together, we could bring him down… then, maybe Avayna would love ME and not that blasted ERUS! WHAHAHA!!" He exclaimed.

Alvar cocked an eyebrow, and hesitantly shook Jaldrik's hand. "I have no clue who you are, but if you want to take down Erus, count me in. I need to restore my shattered reputation as the strongest of the mages!!" He stated.

"Then, it's a deal." Jaldrik said, as they shook on it.

-Meanwhile, in the Dondoran throne room-

"Your majesty King Scottfort XXXVIII-squared-to-the-pie-th-power-direct-descendant-of-the-original-king-Scottfort-who-gave-the-Earth-Orb-to-the-legendary-mage-five-hundred-years-ago-who-then-went-on-to-the-Conor-Fortress-which-is-really-a-forest-I-don't-know-why-they-call-it-a-fortress-but-whatever-on-his-way-to-the-boat-that-takes-him-unwillingly-to-the-Carmagh-region-so-that-he-can-get-lost-in-cull-hazard-being-killed-off-by-wyverns-on-his-way-to-Normoon-get-the-wind-jade-so-he-must-then-venture-into-the-Windward-forest-and-fight-Zelse-for-it-who-was-really-a-petophile-waiting-for-

"JUST SHUT UP!!!" The King exclaimed to his guard. "I'm Scottfort! King Scottfort! That's all!"

The guard nodded. "Yes, your majesty XXXVIII… we received this letter that was addressed to you…" He said, handing the king an envelope.

The King, curious, opened the envelope, and read the letter.

_When it began, there was nothing._

_However, the eight supreme gods, with unlimited power, came down from the heavens, and created existence._

_Infernice- The mighty god of fire, created a sun for each galaxy… the mighty balls of flame which provided heat to us mortals were merely splinters of fragments of some of Infernice's almighty power. When mortals get too cocky, he makes the sun brighter, turning lush forests into deserts, and causing famine._

_Earagnus- The mighty god of earth, created all the planets for the cosmos, his greatest work of art being the planet that we humans live on. He's in control of pretty much all matter that exists, and is truly omnipotent and unchallenged by all. When mortals get too cocky, he makes them realize his power by creating mighty earthquakes, and fierce volcanic eruptions, which isn't even a single fraction of a percent of his power._

_Ravulcan- The mighty god of lightning, made all the electricity and energy in the world upon which we rely. Though it is all really a low percent of the infinite power that is his. When the mortals defy him, he reminds them of him through fierce thunderstorms._

_Abyscerin- The mighty god of darkness, created the dark cosmos that the people could look upon at night, reminding the people of he and the other supreme gods' eternal power over them. He has created the black holes to swallow creation in case if anything goes horribly wrong._

Freaza- The mighty goddess of Ice, created all that is cold in the world, as surely Infernice's sun would melt the planet, being a bit too hot. So, she also made Abyscerin's cosmos cold… making the sun exactly evened out in temperature, though in winter, Freaza's influence strengthens, like Infernice's does in summer. When she is angry, she creates fierce blizzards to ravage the people.

Sybelte- The mighty goddess of the winds created all the oxygen and winds that circle the earth, giving the planet life. She created the atmosphere that surrounds the planet, and sometimes uses her power to punish mortals with tornadoes.

Wavrigia- The mighty goddess of the water, controls all liquids that exist, except for magma, which resides deep in the planets, which Earagnus controls. She made the life-giving lakes and oceans on the earth, and her form of punishment is through fierce tsunamis.

Ligima- The mighty goddess of light, she created all the mortals who live in the universe. She also bathed the world in light during daytime, thus providing the people with visibility. Unlike the seven other supreme gods, Ligima is merciful, and does not punish us humans, no matter what bad deeds we may commit.

…The eight supreme ones, satisfied with their deeds, departed to the heavens, leaving behind nine items of unfathomable power. Infernice left behind the mighty Fire ruby, which is the way he channels his fiery influence to the world, all the way from Bliss. Earagnus left behind the Earth Orb to carry through his will, in the same was as the Fire Ruby to Infernice. Ravulcan left behind the lightning gem, Abyscerin left behind the Dark Onyx, Freaza left behind the Ice diamond, Sybelte left behind the Wind Jade, Wavrigia left behind the Water Jewel, and Ligima left behind the Light topaz. They also left behind another item: the Eletale book, which they decreed should never be opened, as the spells inside are too powerful for the eyes of mortals. With these nine items resting in the world, the eight almighty ones departed to their eternal paradise, to live forever, watching over the world, and living their Idyllic lives.

…But now, it is time. This time has come. Are you ready for it?

King Scottfort put down the letter, and scratched his head. "…I have absolutely no clue what this means…" He groaned, discarding it.

**End of Chapter**

Thanks to all reviewers so far, I mean it when I say it! Well… that is, if you do review. Haven't gotten that many since I began to update. Come on, people! I'm writing for your enjoyment, here! Please review!

Until Next Chapter,

-Biggoron


	7. Chapter Five: Saturday

**The New Age of Celtland**

_Chapter V_

**DISCLAIMER:** Refer to the previous disclaimer. I do not own Julius Caesar, either, in case you were wondering.

And now, for those of you who are reading, I present to you… the next chapter…

-The next day-

The sun shone through the window as Avayna opened up her eyes. _'Ah… it's good to not have to wake up at a certain time… I don't have to rush off to the Guild… giving me a nice long leisurely shower.' _She thought, getting up, and going to the bathroom, which was very clean. She was the only one who lived in her small class, and being a water mage… she was able to keep things very, very clean in here. She turned on the refreshing hot water, took off her clothes, and stepped into the shower. _'Ah… feels so good… anyway… what am I doing today? Nothing planned, I think… today IS, after all, Saturday. Well, that settles it; I'm going to see Erus, today… after all, it's pretty lonely here in Dondoran, without family. Perhaps Erus is the one for me? He seems to have taken a liking to me, which is probably unusual for one such as him, and I… well, I liked him in the first place. He really not such a bad guy once you get to know him... he's actually kinda nice. Perhaps today, I'll talk to him about his family, and where he's come from, and maybe we can train more with magic, or just hang out and watch TV… Hm… so many opportunities.'_ She thought while in the shower. Over the course of these thoughts, about a half an hour passed. Avayna then turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and dried herself off. She then put on her clothes… a simple blue shirt with a pair of casual pants. Being the weekend, she didn't have to have her mage attire on, and could obviously wear what she wanted. Then, after making the remaining preparations for the day, she decided to take the next hour off, and watched TV from the comfort of her couch. _'It's nine right now… one more hour, and I'm going to visit Erus.' _She thought, beginning to flip through the channels to see if something good was on, in a relaxed state while doing so.

-Meanwhile-

"Alright, Alvar, here's the plan. We're taking Erus down this weekend. If not today, then tomorrow. Here's how we'll do it…" Jaldrik began.

"Hey, who said you could lead this, commoner? I am nobility! I am Alvar! Alvar knows full well that danger is less dangerous than he!" Alvar exclaimed.

Jaldrik shot Alvar a blank look. "Look, don't start talking in third person and quoting lines from Julius Caesar, replacing them with your name, or I swear I'll kill you." He stated.

"Shall Alvar send a lie? Has Alvar in conquest stretched his arm so far, to be afraid to tell graybeards the truth? Jaldrik, go tell them Alvar will not come." Alvar exclaimed.

"Bolt…" Alvar sighed, shooting the same lightning spell that he shot at Staff.

"THE IDES OF MARCH HAVE COME!!" Alvar exclaimed, narrowly dodging the horizontal bolt of lightning.

"Thunder." Jaldrik sighed again, casting the follow up spell. This time, a thunderbolt similar to bolt, only coming from above Alvar, instead of from Jaldrik's palm, came down and zapped Alvar, who then shook his head after shaking off the attack.

"Ow… what happened?" Alvar asked. Jaldrik simply smacked his forehead. "No really… I don't know what just happened just now." Alvar quickly said.

"What was the last thing you remembered?" Jaldrik asked.

Alvar thought for a minute. "Um… I think I just had said: 'Hey, who said you could lead this, commoner? I am nobility!' … Then, all went black, and I woke up here." He stated.

"Uh-huh… so genius, what's your plan? Bum rush him into the library like you did last time?" Jaldrik asked.

"Uh… well, there's two of us now, and one of him." Alvar stated.

"Still won't work. This is Erus we're talking about… you know… the mage who's stronger than the sages who have been using magic obsessively for their entire lives?" Jaldrik asked.

"Good point. Perhaps we should train all day, getting ourselves ready, and our adrenaline pumped up. Then, we wait in front of the guild for Erus to come out… he'll be tired from reading all day, and we'll be in our prime… there's no way it'll fail." Alvar suggested.

"Ah… now that's using your head." Jaldrik replied.

-Around the same time as all of this, at the beach outside of Dondoran-

Rikaea breathed in heavily, and pointed her rod out to sea. _'I know it's my day off… but I still need to grow stronger… at least until I can get my spells up to speed…' _She thought, casting a fireball spell.

Meanwhile, from a distance, Cilia watched. _'Hm… 13 inches. At least you've passed the one-foot mark. Just five more inches, and you can say you're up to par… Keep trying hard, sis… and one day, you'll be able to unlock the powers you get when you're angry anytime… and perhaps even become stronger than me.'_ She then walked back into Dondoran before her sister would take notice.

-In the library-

Erus sat down in his usual spot in the corner of the great library. It was his day off, so he wore slightly more casual clothes. However, he always kept his staff with him. His staff was like a dear old friend to him… one that has accompanied him throughout the rigors of time, and has been with him through most of his life.

He then sat down, and opened up the book he had been reading the day before. He began to read, continuing from where he left off, but his mind suddenly went astray. _'…Hm. That Avayna… she's a very nice person… and extremely beautiful as well. Not to mention smart… perhaps I was wrong about people… with those such as Staff and Maris, as well… maybe people aren't as bad as I think.'_ Erus thought. He then began to think of people like Alvar. _'…Then again…' _Erus' thought continued. He just decided to shrug it off, and get back into reading his book.

-Meanwhile… during the same time as the previous four scenes-

Staff and Maris were holding hands, strolling through the streets of Dondoran.

"It's so nice now that it's the weekend. Now we get lots of free time to spend with each other…" Maris stated, smiling.

Staff smiled back at her. "Of course… but we had our fun for last night… now all we need is to find Erus, or Avayna, or someone to hang around with." He sighed.

Maris thought for a minute. "Well, I know that Avayna is probably at home right now, relaxing for a bit… she'll probably begin taking a stroll around town, soon… and we know that Erus will be at the library.

Staff sighed. "I really need to show Erus what it's like to have a life."

Maris sighed. "Well, he gets along very well with you… and only you, it seems. You both have little to no memory of your pasts at all… and nobody can seem to pry Erus out of the library, except for you."

Staff nodded. "Wait… then how come there was a big earthquake outside of town, yesterday? It wasn't natural, and Erus was the only one powerful enough to be able to make such a quake."

Maris shrugged. "I don't know… is there anyone else who can get Erus out of the library besides you?"

-Back to Avayna's house-

Avayna turned off the TV, using the remote. She then slipped her socks and shoes onto her bare feet, grabbed her trusty cobalt staff, and left her house, locking the door behind her. She then walked down the road to the guild, which was, for the most part, completely empty. However, access to the library was still allowed on weekends. _'Well, Erus… here I come… I hope you're there and waiting.'_ She thought.

-Inside the library-

Erus sat there, deep into the book he was reading, when Avayna came into the room. "Hey, Erus." Avayna greeted.

"Avayna." Erus replied, closing his book.

"How's it going?" Avayna asked.

Erus sighed. "Bored as hell… I'm trying to find out something I don't know in this library."

"Well, that settles it!" Avayna exclaimed.

"What settles what?" Erus asked.

"You're coming with me." Avayna said, grabbing Erus by the hand, and pretty much dragging him out of the library.

-Near the doors of the guild of magic-

"Alright… so all we have to do, is wait for them to come…" Jaldrik said.

"Indeed… but won't that be awhile…? Considering its only 10:15?" Alvar asked.

"…Well, we could always go for a bathroom break here and-

"…What the hell are you doing here?" Erus asked Alvar blankly after he opened the front door of the guild to come out.

"E-Erus!" Jaldrik and Alvar exclaimed.

Following Erus, Avayna cave from the guild. "Jaldrik… what are you doing here?" She asked.

"A-Avayna!" Jaldrik exclaimed.

"You know what? You're really annoying me…" Avayna stated, irritated.

Erus sighed to himself, and put on a small smirk. "Shall I do the honors, Avayna?" He stated, whipping out his legendary staff, which began to glow. The ground beneath Jaldrik and Alvar began to shake a little.

Avayna shook her head. "Thanks, Erus… but I want this one." She said, whipping out her cobalt staff.

Erus put his staff away. "Alright, then." He stated, watching for what was going to happen next.

"Water Pillar!" Avayna exclaimed, as a huge third-level pillar of water came up from the ground, and engulfed Jaldrik. Avayna then turned to Alvar. "And why are you here, huh? To challenge Erus for a rematch?" She asked, amused.

"Well, I- uh…" Alvar stuttered.

"Water bomb!" Avayna exclaimed, causing the twelve-foot long drop of water to fall down from the sky, land of Alvar like a brick, and splash everywhere, further engulfing Jaldrik, as well.

"Grr… I didn't want to have to do this… but I guess I'll have to take her forcibly!" Jaldrik exclaimed, coughing up water that had almost suffocated him. "Chain Lightning!" He exclaimed.

Erus glared at Jaldrik, as he was watching him intently the whole time. He knew the movements that he was doing, and that he was about to cast a thunder spell upon Avayna… that would hurt her a lot because she is a water Elementalist. Fortunately, he knew ahead of time. "Avalanche." He stated. Before Jaldrik could cast the spell, he was brutally crushed by tons of massive boulders, each the size of a fourth stage rock spell. Erus then looked at Alvar. "Take your friend, and leave."

"I-um…" Alvar stuttered.

"Now." Erus stated, with an angry glare. Alvar quickly rummaged through the boulders, and eventually found Jaldrik's limp body.

"He needs medical attention… most of his bones are crushed, and he's pretty much dying." Alvar stated, then looking at Avayna.

"What? Oh fine… but let him know that if he follows me again, he'll get no such luxury." Avayna sighed, pointing her staff at Jaldrik. The staff began to glow a soft teal color, and you could hear bones snapping back into place. The wounds then began to close. It took a full three minutes of continuous healing in order to bring him to this state. "…He'll be fine. But he'll be out for the rest of today, and tomorrow."

Alvar grabbed the limp body, and nodded. "Thank you." He said, running off.

Avayna then looked back at Erus. "You sure ripped him a new one, there." She said, impressed. Erus nodded.

"I did not intend to kill him… if I did, I would've used the fifth stage, and not the fourth." Erus sighed.

_'Damn… what made him so powerful?'_ Avayna thought. "Hm… want to go out for lunch? It'll be noon soon. My treat." She then said to Erus, with a smile.

"I'll be glad to." Erus said, walking with her to the Dondoran food court.

-Five minutes after they left, in the library-

"Odd. Erus isn't here." Maris stated.

"Hm… I wonder where he could be? He's usually here…" Staff said.

"… What should we do, then?" Maris asked.

"Get food. I'm hungry." Staff stated, with a chuckle.

-Meanwhile, in the food court-

Erus and Avayna had gotten their food, and sat across from each other, at a table separate from the rest of them, upon Erus' suggesting. For the first few minutes, they started eating… and it was Avayna who broke the silence.

"So… where did you learn all those really powerful spells?" Avayna asked.

Erus shrugged. "I don't even know."

"What do you mean?" Avayna asked.

"I have no memory of my past… where I came from, if I have family… the earliest I remember is when I first got my staff… I also remembered my name, some of my spells, and my age… but not much otherwise." Erus explained.

"Strange… so you have no family?" Avayna asked.

Erus nodded. "None that I know of, at least… and what about you?" He then asked Avayna.

"Well… About three years ago, I lived in Larapool, the water capital of Celtland. I had a younger sister... a mother… and a father." Avayna began. Erus, listening intently, noticed that her expression became saddened. "My father… was… a drunk… and an alcoholic… and a powerful thunder mage, who hated just about everything, and everyone, and didn't know why we were still living in Larapool. My mom, however, was a water mage, like me… a kind caring person, who I got most of my looks from… she loved Larapool, and didn't ever want to leave. My father… was very abusive to us… my mom… my sister… and me." Avayna explained, her eyes beginning to grow teary. "He… my father… wanted my little sis to be… a thunder mage, like him… and no matter how much… we'd… tried to tell him… that you cannot choose what element lies within you… and that the staff chooses the person… he wouldn't listen. When he heard that… my sister… was a water mage, like us… he went into a fit of rage… and… he…" Erus could notice that she was really crying now. "… Beat her to death." Avayna finished.

"Avayna…"

"…I asked my mom… why… she still stood by my father… and… she just smiled sadly at me. She told me, she has no choice… as the family is dependent on the money he makes to live and that we'd die out of hunger, otherwise… but my mom said… that I still had hope… that… she could… send me to Dondoran… and the guild of… magic… where I'd… be given proper funding… enough… to lead my own life… and she did… here I am now… I wanted to get enough money… to come back to her… and get her away… from that monster… so she could live her life… but… a month after coming to Dondoran… I received a letter… saying that once my… dad… figured out I had been sent off… to Dondoran… he… he… killed my mom… and he still… lives… today…" Avayna finished, now with her face buried in her hands.

Erus got up, and hugged Avayna tightly. Avayna's eyes widened. _'H-he's…'_

"It's okay." Erus said, comforting her. Avayna then got more relaxed, and returned the tight embrace, which went on for a couple of minutes.

"Erus…" Avayna then said, breaking the silence.

"Yes?" Erus asked.

"I… Can you stay with me… at my house… tonight?" Avayna asked.

"…"

"I… just… need someone to be at my side…" Avayna stated, obviously shaken up by the recollection of events.

"Alright." Erus replied. _'She's really had it rough… her past is probably something she's never told anyone before… something that she's tried to bury… but for some reason, she opened up to me… and the recollection of the events must have shaken her up… it's the very least I could do for her to stay with her.'_ He then thought.

"Thank you, Erus…" Avayna sighed.

"Well, well… what have we here?" Staff asked, walking onto the scene with Maris.

Avayna quickly let go of Erus, and blushed Deeply. "I…"

Erus just gave Staff a slightly irritated look.

"Hello, Erus. You know what I just realized? Your name backwards is Sure!" Staff exclaimed.

Erus just gave Staff a blank expression, and then shook his head, with a bit of a smirk on his face. _'That's Staff for you… as charmingly psychotic as ever…'_ He thought to himself.

"So… what have you two been up to?" Maris asked.

"I… we… uh… nothing…" Avayna said, fumbling around for an answer.

"Ah, well, never mind. It looks like the two of you haven't gotten too far into your lunches. Mind if we join you?" Maris asked.

"Sure." Avayna said.

"Ha! That's Erus' name backwards!!" Staff then exclaimed, as he and Maris sat down. Erus just grumbled a bit, but shook it off. The four then began to talk to each other (More in Staff's case, and less in Erus') and eat.

-Around that time, at the beach outside of Dondoran-

"This is getting boring…" Rikaea stated, walking away.

"Oh, is it?" Celia asked, suddenly appearing from nowhere.

"What the hell!?! Are you some sort of ninja, now?" Rikaea asked, startled.

"Um… no." Celia answered. "But why do you quit now? You're been trying so hard to catch up to everyone over the past week, and you're working on it, aren't you? Your fireball measures 14 inches now, and-

"…So now, you're a psychic yardstick ninja stalker?" Rikaea asked.

"… Anyways, your fireball measures 14 inches now, and you have learned the second stage of it, as well. Not only that, but you can use Fire arrow even when you're not angry, and the first stage of Hot Steam, as well." Celia stated. "…Do you intend to give up, now?"

"No…" Rikaea replied.

"Good… then perhaps something a little less boring… try training on all the were hares, Hellhounds, and Man Eaters around here..." Cilia stated, noticing that six hellhounds had approached them. "Hellhounds. Observe…" She stated. "Icicle!" It was then that an icicle shot out of the ground, and pierced through one of the hellhounds, killing it.

Rikaea nodded. "Fire arrow!" She stated, using the first level of the spell. Being fire types, the Hellhounds didn't take that much damage… but it was able to kill one of them, and damaged another.

The remaining Hellhounds advanced. One of them breathed out a fireball at Cilia, who would be hurt by the attack, being an ice type. Rikaea jumped in the way of the fireball, colliding with her, but doing little to no damage. The three remaining ones breathed out their own fireballs.

"Ice wall!" Cilia exclaimed, as the wall of cold rose up between her sister and the hellhounds. The fireballs bounced harmlessly of the spell, which continued on to kill two of the hellhounds.

Rikaea ran forward, until she was practically in between the two hellhounds. "Hot steam!" She exclaimed, as tremendously hot steam rose up on all sides of her, frying the remaining hellhounds, without any regard to their resistance to fire.

"Nice Job. You're getting the hang of it." Cilia complimented.

"Thanks." Rikaea replied.

-Meanwhile, at the castle-

"Your majesty King Scottfort XXXVIII-squared-to-the-pie-th-power-direct-descendant-of-the-original-king-Scottfort-who-gave-the-Earth-Orb-to-the-legendary-mage-five-hundred-years-ago-who-then-went-on-to-the-Conor-Fortress-which-is-really-a-forest-I-don't-know-why-they-call-it-a-fortress-but-whatever-on-his-way-to-the-boat-that-takes-him-unwillingly-to-the-Carmagh-region-so-that-he-can-get-lost-in-cull-hazard-being-killed-off-by-wyverns-on-his-way-to-Normoon-get-the-wind-jade-so-he-must-then-venture-into-the-Windward-forest-and-fight-Zelse-for-it-who-was-really-a-petophile-waiting-for-Brian-who-ended-up-killing-him-and-getting-the-wind-jade-when-he-continued-back-to-Larapool-and-met-some-random-person-who-opened-up-the-way-to-an-annoyingly-long-ice-dungeon-which-froze-up-whenever-you-were-to-use-rock-shower-on-the-last-part-of-it-pissing-me-off-but-that's-not-the-point-and-finding-the-magical-sage-Epona-who-sent-him-off-to-a-boat-in-the-middle-of-the-Loch-and-to-an-island-which-you-could-not-get-off-of-by-any-means-and-the-only-way-of-escape-was-blocked-off-by-the-random-lady-you-were-supposed-to-get-the-water-jewel-for-so-Brian-had-to-go-fight-Nepty-who-was-a-half-fish-I-dunno-and-then-he-

The King, at this point, was banging his head on the wall. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?" He yelled, silencing the squire once more.

"Huh? Oh. The head sage of the guild sends you a message.

"Yes?" The King asked.

"…It is that time of year." The squire stated.

"Oh." The King sighed. "So much animosity is going to take place…"

-Evening-

Rikaea sighed. She was very, very tired for training for 8 hours straight. Cilia, however, nodded in approvement. "Good. Now, just show me one last fireball to see how much progress you've made." Cilia stated.

Rikaea nodded. "Fireball!" She exclaimed, shooting out a larger fireball.

"Hm… 19 inches. You've passed the average. Excellent progress." Cilia stated in approvement.

-Later at Night-

Erus was at Avayna's house. "Well, make yourself at home." Avayna said. Erus nodded, and put his bags down by the couch, along with his staff. This house was fairly small, but very comfortable. "By the way… where do you usually sleep at night?" Avayna asked.

"I… don't sleep. I usually spend my nights in the library." Erus stated.

"Oh… well, feel free to spend your nights here, from now on." Avayna replied.

"I'd appreciate that. Thanks." Erus said.

"Alright… it's gotten late… I'm going to change and go to bed, now… goodnight, Erus." Avayna said, with a smile.

Erus then smiled back at her. Not a slight smile, not an unnoticeable smile, but an actual smile… probably the first real one he ever made. "Good night, Avayna." He said. Avayna blushed a little, and walked off to her room.

Avayna then changed into her nightclothes, and lay down on her bed. _'Erus… he's… such a nice person… he even hugged me, and smiled at me today… two things that he's probably never done… I can't say that I like him anymore… I love him…'_ She thought, slipping off her slippers, and turning the light off for the night. _'I just hope he thinks the same of me…'_ Avayna said, before falling asleep.

-Meanwhile, in the other room-

Erus was reading one of the books he had with him, but his mind was elsewhere. _'I… can't believe this, but I'm actually getting attached to this girl… Avayna… though it's going to make my job a lot harder… still…'_ Erus thought, reaching into his robes. He pulled out a large glowing orb the size of one's skull. It lit up the room in a golden light, and made a soft humming noise. Erus stared into it, mesmerized by the unlimited power you could just see seething through it._'… But I swear upon this, the very Earth Orb, itself, that if Avayna does not have the honors of killing her father… then I will… and I'll show no mercy…'_ He thought, putting the orb away. _'After all… I haven't even drawn from its powers, yet.'_

End of Chapter 

Well, this is my longest chapter yet… over 3,500 words. Hope you all enjoyed reading it. This chapter really leaves you with a lot of things to think about, doesn't it? Well, let me know what you think in a review. It will be appreciated.

Until Next Chapter,

-Biggoron


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